So I got the boat running this weekend, de-winterized (yes I captured my anti-freeze for disposal :rolleyes: ), and took out for a couple of rides. Stopped for a "lake pop" and opened the engine cover to notice about 2 inches water in the bilge. One of my Silent Master mufflers has a small crack in where the elbow is inserted into the cylinder of the muffler. I had figured on just getting some fiberglass and wrapping it a couple of times to seal it back up. My dealer recommended trying some JB weld. Anyone have any other suggestions. It's really small, but lets in about a gallon every 5 minutes.

jkski

04-29-2008, 03:40 PM

CP....
Time to sell and get that NEW 197 there is no fixing the old girl!!!!

For what it's worth, I have used JB Weld on a small crack I had in the block of one of my first boats and it held great...even for years after I sold it.

ShamrockIV

04-29-2008, 03:46 PM

blow it in place!!!! get god insurance first!!! great time to trade up!!!

lol man jb weld will work good or new muffler!!

agua4fun

04-29-2008, 06:54 PM

I had the same problem, and used a bit of west system epoxy and 4"x4" of 6oz glass that i had leftover from a project. been holding for 3 years. (I had water come in when floating with the engine off as well.)

justinglow

04-29-2008, 07:42 PM

My old boat had the silent rider and was cracked also. I pulled it out sanded it, re-glassed it with the fiberglass cloth and painted it black with hi-temp paint and it was as good as new.

johkur

04-30-2008, 08:08 PM

You're making me nervous. My new X45 L18 is getting the two silent masters that run up/down on each side, direct from exhaust manifold down to rubber connector to straight-thru exhaust tip. Because the exhaust tips are below the waterline, if a leak develops in the fiberglass below the waterline, even without the boat running, the boat would fill and ultimately sink. My preference and normally expect that boats wouldn't have thin fiberglass below the waterline. I was thinking the tip would bend upward and connect to the fiberglass, and so if the fiberglass cracks, you don't get water. If your crack had been down near the exhaust tip, below the waterline, would you just have had a continual stream of water into the engine compartment (until the batteries died for the bilge?). Is fiberglass below the waterline a cause for concern? Would flappers in stainless tips or the new rubber flappers help prevent a total sinking from a crack in a silentmaster below the waterline? I'm thinking that fiberglass is more likely to crack than stainless, maybe that's a misconception? Thanks.

agua4fun

05-01-2008, 09:12 PM

hmmm, i dont know the answers to most of your questions.
Yes the water was coming in my boat when sitting with the engine off. But it was such a slow leak, it would have taken atleast a few weeks to fill up the boat even if the bildge was off. I dont think the manifolds would ever crack under normal operation. Both captainP's an my own cracked durring the winter, which i still believe was the ultimate cause (a dealer winterized mine :(
I wouldnt sweat it.

captain planet

05-02-2008, 10:20 AM

I winterized myself, as I have for the last 10 years, and as always I had antifreeze coming out the exhaust when I was finished. Doesn't make sense, however as small as the crack is I think I will try the JB weld first as suggested by jkski and go from there.